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We Are Thunder Bay Counts

Organizations from various sectors and community members gathered today for an important announcement from Thunder Bay Counts: How our community can better work together on identified social challenges we have been experiencing locally.

Thunder Bay Counts also unveiled their new and interactive website, www.thunderbaycounts.com, which will allow the community to become engaged in making a difference. It will allow people to learn more about our community’s priorities, allow organizations to communicate the work that they are doing and for the community to participate in working toward goals that will enhance the wellbeing of people here in Thunder Bay. The website will also house what local statistics say about trends over time.

Andrew Taylor from Taylor Newberry Consulting was on hand to present the concept and work of Thunder Bay Counts: The idea behind Thunder Bay Counts was to identify simple, shared goals with the community, so that people can coordinate their efforts. Shared goals also make it possible to measure progress over time and to decide together about what should happen next. Over the last year, Thunder Bay Counts has reviewed dozens of local research reports and held a number of open community forums. They have conducted online surveys and spoken with leaders from various sectors of the community. They have studied local statistics about social issues.

From this work they have identified three shared community goals which ultimately, are intended to help Thunder Bay make progress towards being a compassionate community where people thrive, know they belong, and are hopeful for the future:

Thunder Bay Counts Backgrounder:There are urgent social issues requiring action in Thunder Bay. There are people throughout the city who are doing great work to address these issues and to make the city stronger. But, there is a need to link different groups working on these issues more effectively, because they are dependent on one another for success in the long run. There is also a need to measure and communicate activities and results better, so that we can hold each other accountable and engage other sectors of the community and the general public more fully. This is why we need Thunder Bay Counts.

Thunder Bay Counts is presently funded through the Ontario Trillium Foundation and was brought to our community in 2014 through the efforts of the United Way of Thunder Bay who have been working with their collaborative partner the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre. The United Way continues to oversee Thunder Bay Counts as it moves forward.

Our first community goal is that Thunder Bay should be An Inclusive, Connected Community; where people are safe; people know they belong, and people can get the help they need. Time and time again reports in Thunder Bay have reached the conclusion that one of the best ways to address roots causes of various social issues is to create a community that is more inclusive and welcoming.

Our second community goal is that Thunder Bay should be a Community Free from the Effects of Poverty; where people are appropriately housed, people have enough healthy food to eat, and people can get where they need to go.

A Prosperous, Vibrant Economy; where people can get good jobs, and people can start or grow businesses, is our third community goal. This means creating and providing good quality employment opportunities, ensuring that people are educated and qualified for available positions and we are attracting new businesses and supporting our existing ones.

Thunder Bay Counts will continue to gather data and statistics that can help show change over time. It is then up to the community to work together to reach these goals and find ways to partner in this work. Thunder Bay Counts will continue to work within the community in a variety of ways:

Disseminating information to the community; addressing misperceptions

Convening meetings for ongoing communication; bringing together more diverse voices

Facilitating data sharing and identifying new sources of data to track changes over time;

Initiating a community wide survey;

Creating common reporting templates

Help facilitating planning for new projects, programs and initiatives related to the community goals and

Maintaining this interactive website and continue to develop awareness around it so it will be widely used

And producing progress reports and updates on the work being done to reach the community goals.

United Way of Thunder Bay is leading the way to a better community by improving the quality of life for all local people. By collaborating with community partners, we are leading the way to addressing social issues in our community and investing in three critical areas: Poverty, Kids and Strong Communities. Donations to the United Way are strategically invested across Thunder Bay to many vital programs and initiatives in these areas, creating a social safety net that works to achieve lasting change for our neighbours, families and friends.